Ache: Heart Of Pain
by Farsi the Paladin
Summary: Love and trust go hand in hand... Don't they? Seymour x Yuna. [Chp. 6 now up!]
1. Chained By Venus

A/N: Hopefully, this'll make some of you rabid 'Seymour-x-Yuna' fans happy. If not, oh well, I tried.

Why have I reposted this? I've changed the layout a little, corrected some typos, rectified some grammar and added disclaimers. Yes, I'm a freak.

Warnings: Fluff, angst, sexual themes and references, language, mild violence.

Disclaimer: All characters are property of Squaresoft.

--

Chained By Venus

"That's a Guado, right?" someone said, watching as a tall, robed man with long blue hair stepped off the gangplank.

"Who could it be?"

"Isn't that Maester Seymour?" another entailed.

The man turned to face the boat, before kneeling down and making the prayer gesture. The assembled crowds behind him copied, as Maester Mika appeared at the top of the gangplank.

"People of Spira, I thank you for your generous welcome." He spoke calmly. "Rise, Maester Seymour. And all of you as well."

Slowly, everyone straightened up, staring attentively at the two maesters.

"I present to you… the son of Maester Jyscal Guado, who departed for the Farplane a fortnight past." Maester Seymour bowed politely. "As some of you already know, he has officially been ordained a maester of Yevon."

Seymour stepped forwards, smiling slightly.

"I am Seymour Guado." He introduced himself. "I am honoured to receive the title of Maester." He was aware of the presence of a certain female summoner, but he forced himself to continue with his mundane ramblings. "In life, my father Jyscal worked to foster friendship between man and Guado. I vow to carry on his legacy, and to fulfil my duties as maester to the best of my abilities."

The gathered mass bowed their heads, and Maester Mika and his associates began to walk away. Before Seymour left too, he snatched a quick look at Lady Yuna; she was more beautiful than he'd thought. Waves of short, chocolate brown hair cascaded down, framing her delicate, pale face. Full, pink lips were curved in a small smile and her shining, mismatched eyes glittered with a spark of nervousness as she caught his gaze. Chuckling gently, he followed on after Mika and walked on past the docks.

Luca was a large, bustling city, full of excited tourists and noise. Seymour had been here once before, as a teenager. It had been quieter then, a mere seaside resort. It was amazing how much things changed in the space of a few short years. Outside the docks, the sea shimmered in the midday sun. Sin was out there, he knew that; everyone did.

"Maester Seymour, please." A young guard motioned for him to hurry up, but Seymour continued to stroll leisurely towards the stairs. He had no particular desire to watch the blitzball tournament. The sport was of no real interest to him.

His thoughts wandered from blitzball to Yuna. He pondered over persuading Maester Mika to extend an invitation to her and her guardians to watch from the top box. He'd ascertained that one of her guardians was the captain of a blitzball team; the Besaid Cattle or some such thing.

Quickly striding up the staircase, the young guard directed him to the box, where Maester Mika was waiting patiently.

"So, uh, Maester Seymour…Which team are you supporting?" the guard asked him, flashing a nervous smile.

"Besaid." Seymour replied calmly.

"The Besaid Aurochs? Good choice, my lord. Lady Yuna's from there, I heard."

"Indeed." Seymour nodded in acknowledgement. "Which team has your favour?" He was used to making small talk.

"Uh, I'm not sure. The Luca Goers are favourite, but I tend to bet on the underdogs… Maybe I'll side with Besaid too, this year. Still, the Ronso have a pretty strong team; I wouldn't like to go up against one of them, that's for sure." The guard gave a short, quiet laugh, before making the prayer gesture as they reached the box. "May Yevon bless the Besaid Aurochs." He smiled, before leaving.

"I see you made a friend." Maester Mika chuckled to himself.

Seymour said nothing; he was used to Mika's joking remarks. The man considered himself to be some sort of comedian, and Seymour was too polite to say otherwise. Besides, the man could be quite entertaining sometimes. On the way over from Bevelle, Maester Mika had fallen asleep, and Seymour had watched in a mixture of mild amusement and revulsion as a small trickle of saliva formed at the corner of the old man's mouth, before spilling over his lip and dribbling down his chin.

"Come, Seymour. Stop skulking in the shadows." Mika beckoned him closer to the balcony.

Obediently, Seymour walked forward a few stops, clutching the smooth fabric of the banner in his hands. Looking out over the expanse of the stadium, he watched as the rows of seats slowly began to fill up, long lines of people snaking their way in through the entrances.

A group of children caught his eye, and he watched with a smirk as they leant over the side of one of the boxes, spitting into the queue below and ducking out of sight as their unfortunate victims glared up in anger. A sudden pang of envy shot through him, and he tore his eyes away from the giggling children. How he envied them. When he was a child, there had been no other children for him to play with, and he'd been kept in isolation for the most part anyway, with only his mother for company. Until that day, when she left him; abandoned him even… He didn't want to think about it. It hurt him still; the dull pain was as fresh as the day it had been inflicted upon him, and nothing anyone said or did ever made him feel any better. Still, he'd learned to ignore it, and now he focused on covering it up with a different trail of thought.

The stands were nearly full now. Maester Mika twisted in his seat slightly, trying to make himself more comfortable. Blitzball tournaments had a habit of dragging on, especially if both teams drew even at the end. Sighing, Seymour backed away from the balcony a little, cursing the insensitive fool who had forgotten to provide him with a chair.

Clearing his throat, Mika began his opening ceremony speech, and Seymour fought a sudden urge to yawn. He hated long-winded speeches such as these. Finally, Maester Mika made the prayer gesture and relaxed back in his seat, watching as the sphere began to fill up with water.

"There's a good turn-out this year." He mused, rubbing his beard thoughtfully.

"It is your fiftieth year as maester, my lord." Seymour pointed out politely.

"Just think, some day this could be you, opening the annual blitzball tournament in your fiftieth year." Mika gave a small smile. He'd already named Seymour as his successor, purely because the other maesters were inept. One was a fool, and the other was feral.

Again, Seymour met his comment with silence; an answer in its own right. He rarely thought about the future, preferring to take each day in its stride, revelling in the unique, little surprises that each one brought. Living in the past had brought him nothing but misery, and living in the future filled him full of a falsified hope of what would never be. Living in the present was much safer, and much more rewarding.

Slowly, the matches drew to a close, one by one. Seymour had long lost interest in them, and was scanning the crowds in a vain hope of catching a glimpse of Lady Yuna. When his third attempt was to no avail, he gave up and forced himself to watch the current match. The scoreboard read two-one, but that meant nothing to him. He didn't even know who was playing, although he thought one of the players looked familiar…

"Who is playing?" he asked Maester Mika.

"Wha? Oh, ask Kinoc. He deals with those sorts of matters." The maester replied quietly, waving a hand in sleepy dismissal.

Resignedly, Seymour tried to decipher the small pictures that accompanied the scores. Squinting, he could just make out the sign for Luca Goers and Besaid Aurochs. In the sphere, his eyes eventually found the familiar player. Although he couldn't put a name to the face, he knew where he'd seen that particular person before. He'd been standing behind Yuna, next to the Besaid Aurochs' captain. At first, Seymour had thought he was an Al Bhed, with his blonde hair, tanned skin and unusual clothing. It had only been the boy's eyes that had disproved that; they were dark blue.

Part of Seymour wondered what involvement the boy had with Yuna, and he found himself fighting to suppress yet another pang of envy. A buzzer rang loudly, pulling Seymour from his thoughts. Over the tannoy system, a commentator informed the crowd that it was halftime, before throwing in some light banter about each team's performance and key moments of the match.

"I don't think we've ever had such an exciting match, eh Bobba?" the commentator asked his partner.

"That's right, Jimma. Those Aurochs sure are giving our Goers a run for their money! Still, I'm sure Captain Wakka will be thrilled, despite his absence from the sphere pool. Looks like the Al Bhed Psyches really hit him hard, 'cos he's had to retire to the bench."

"Mm-hmm. His substitute is a very strong player though; in fact, he's been leading the entire team, scoring both goals in the first two minutes of the match. Things are certainly going to heat up between the two teams next half."

Bored, Seymour glanced back to Maester Mika, who was still asleep. Flicking his forelock out of his face, he made his way to the exit, intending on being back before the match resumed. He wouldn't have another chance to explore after the tournament was over.

Striding down the stairs, he quietly made his way behind the stands and down the other set of stairs. The last thing he wanted was people mobbing him. At the bottom, the guard saluted stiffly, sticking their chests out and clutching their weapons tightly. Seymour nodded to them, before heading towards the city. People had flocked from the stadium to the centre, intent on buying souvenirs and the like while it was halftime. Seymour had no idea how long the interval lasted, but he was sure it wasn't going to be long enough.

A small stall was set up in front of him, selling brightly coloured balloon, cheap souvenirs and various assortments of food and drink. Seymour watched as a couple of children stood and gazed hopefully at the balloons.

"Scram, kids. I told ya, if ya don't got no money, ya don't got no balloon. Now beat it!" the stall's owner flapped his hands at them in agitation.

"Excuse me." Seymour cleared his throat, addressing the owner. "I would like to buy two balloons."

The owner bolted upright in shock, before raising an eyebrow in surprise at the request. Still, who was he to question a maester?

"They're ten Gil each." The man replied gruffly, reaching out for the multi-coloured cloud.

Seymour turned to the two children, kneeling down to talk to them. "Pick a balloon." He smiled gently, watching as their faces lit up in glee.

"Really mister?" one of them said, her eyes wide with happiness. "Well, thanks a lot!"

Nodding, Seymour reached up his sleeve and removed a small, leather pouch full of coins. Carefully, he removed a fifty Gil piece and handed it over to the owner. "Keep the change."

As he turned to walk away, one of the children tugged on his robe gently.

"Are you a Guado?" he asked interestedly.

"Do I look like one?" he asked calmly in return.

"Sorta. Our momma says that the Guado look like trees though. You don't look like a tree." He replied innocently, clutching his balloon tightly. It was blue, like Seymour's hair.

"Thank you, little child." He smiled.

The other child approached, tapping her brother on the shoulder sharply.

"You haven't thanked the nice man!" she said in annoyance, folding her arms. Her balloon was red.

"Oh, thank you, mister. It was real nice of you." the boy smiled, making the prayer gesture.

"Don't mention it." Seymour shook his head gently. The fact that they had no idea who he was amused him.

"Are you supportin' the Guado Glories?" the little girl asked, twisting the cord of her balloon tightly round her fingers.

"Besaid Aurochs actually." Seymour corrected her. "Are you?"

"Nope. Luca Goers all the way!" she punched the air energetically.

"Well, good luck to your team." Seymour wished her politely. The buzzer sounded again, and a slight discord of alarm struck inside him. "Please excuse me; I must get back to the stadium. Enjoy your balloons."

"We will. Bye bye, mister!" they waved, before turning and running off down to the city centre.

It was only on his way back up the stairs to the box that he realised those children were two of the same ones he'd witnessed spitting over the side earlier. He laughed softly under his breath, pleased that he'd managed to bring a little happiness into their day. It wasn't often that he did such things.

Settling at Mika's side once again, he observed the continued blitzball game with an air of dull confusion. Someone had tried to explain the rules to him aboard the boat, but they had been so complicated, and Seymour had been rather tired that morning, having not slept well overnight. In the end, they'd given up and gone back to whatever mundane task they had been doing before, much to his relief. It wasn't as though he'd asked them to explain the rules in the first place.

He was suddenly aware of the crowd's chanting, and strained his ears to try and clarify what they were saying.

"Would you listen to that? It appears that the crowd is calling for some action! They're calling for Wakka!" one of the commentators boomed over the speakers.

"And what's this? One of the Aurochs is leaving the sphere pool! He might be injured!"

"Wow, the Aurochs without their star player? I don't see how they'll be able to maintain their one-goal margin."

Seymour watched with intrigue as the player swam to the edge of the sphere, before dropping out and disappearing down the tunnel to the changing rooms. A couple of minutes passed, and the crowd grew seemingly more impatient.

"I don't believe it!" exclaimed a commentator eventually. "Wakka's entered the sphere pool! Let's hope his injuries don't cause any further problems."

The game began again, with two minutes left on the clock. In that short space of time, neither team scored again, securing the Aurochs' narrow victory. The stadium erupted in a chorus of victorious cheers and whistling, with people dancing in their seats and hugging the people next to them. Suddenly, the celebrations were cut short as the cheers turned into piercing, shrill screams of fear and terror. Down below, a horde of fiends had appeared, diving for the panicking crowds as they dashed madly for the exits.

Maester Mika finally woke, clapping his hands and mumbling words of celebration. "Bravo, bravo! Encore!" he nodded to Seymour, before struggling to sit upright. The door opened suddenly, and a small team of guards marched in.

"We're here to escort you both back to the ship safely." The team leader announced. "Come along please, my lords."

"I will be along shortly. Please take Maester Mika ahead, and ensure he reaches the ship safely. Do not worry about me." Seymour told them, before turning his back and gazing down at the ensuing chaos.

The guards paused, before obediently gathering up Maester Mika and guiding him down the stairs. Once they were gone, Seymour walked forwards and closed his eyes, focusing all his energy on summoning his aeon, a single memory floating to the surface of his mind; his beloved mother, Anima, holding her arms open to him as she was engulfed in a bright light. He made the prayer gesture, feeling a stirring in the depths of his soul as four globes of energy swirled around him and ascended to the sky.

An anchor shot down from the darkened clouds, plunging into the ground and grasping hold of something. It heaved the aeon from the broken ground, and Seymour let a sad, rueful sigh escape his lips. _Anima…_

Chains bound her inside her shell, creaking loudly as she shrieked and strained to break free. Seymour felt the familiar telepathic passage open in his mind, allowing him to control his aeon, his mother. He was pleased to note she was already at overdrive.

Spurred on by her son's quiet request, Anima began to unleash the frightful power that lurked within her. Bolts of brilliant white energy burst forth from her single, visible eye, never missing a target. As each fiend was struck down, they exploded into clusters of pyreflies that flew up into the sky, dissolving into the clouds.

Eventually, Anima ceased her attack, surrounded by a haze of pyreflies. As one, mother and son shared a quiet moment of reassurance and affection, before he dismissed her. Below him, the panic turned to confusion and relief, as everyone tried to piece together what had happened, while clapping and cheering as they realised the danger had passed. Smiling, Seymour spread his arms and basked reflectively in the reformed rays of sunlight.

--

A/N: So, uh, what do you think? The next chapter jumps all the way ahead to Mi'ihen Highroad, but that's because I'm too lazy to write about the inane goings-on of Yuna and the gang for the time being.

Anyways, R&R peeps, 'cos your input is vital to me. Feel free to point out mistakes/typos/crappy grammar/etc and I'll fix 'em as soon as I can. Structured criticism is also appreciated, provided it does actually give me something to work on. Reviews that simply say 'ur fic sux ballz u r ghey' do absolutely nothing to help rectify possible plot holes/problems. If you want to make that sort of review, please just e-mail me.


	2. A Chance To Talk

Disclaimer: All characters are property of Squaresoft. -- A Chance To Talk 

Yuna looked up to see Maester Seymour and a couple of his assistants striding purposefully towards them. Anxiety fluttered up inside her like a butterfly, just like it had done when he'd looked at her the other day in Luca. He smiled warmly, capturing her gaze and holding it while they both made the prayer gesture. Her eyes were so striking and unique; one jade green and the other ocean blue.

"So we meet again, Lady Yuna." He spoke softly.

"Y-Yes?" Yuna stuttered, suddenly finding her throat dry. She craned to look up at him; he was a good deal taller than her.

"You look troubled." There was a pang of sympathy in his voice. "Is there anything I can do?"

Considering this, Yuna turned and stared at the gate behind them. The guards had refused them access only moments ago, and unless they could go on ahead, they were stuck on the Highroad for another night. She wasn't sure Wakka would be too pleased with having to stay at the Al Bhed's establishment again.

"Well…" she sighed, hoping she wasn't asking too much.

"I see." Seymour carefully edged past her and walked over to the gate.

"Maester Seymour. Let me show you to the command centre." The guard saluted.

"Hold." Seymour said firmly. "I have a request."

"Yes, your Grace?" the guard asked him, non-plussed.

"I need to have Summoner Yuna and her guardians let through to the command centre."

"But, Maester Seymour, sir." The guard spluttered.

"Do not worry. I will take full responsibility." Seymour smiled in reassurance.

A little put out, the guard relented. "Very well. They may pass."

Seymour turned back to Yuna, wearing a triumphant smile. "It is done."

She smiled gratefully, bowing low. "Thank you, your Grace."

Briefly, he returned the smile before turning and walking away, through the gate. He'd made Yuna smile; that was well worth suffering any consequences he'd have to face later on.

On the other side of the gate, a group of Crusaders assembled, saluting him as he approached them.

"All hail Maester Seymour!"

He stopped a couple of yards in front of them, his assistants standing wide on either side of him.

"Brave Crusaders of Spira, protectors of all Spira." He began, raising his voice for effect. "Believe in the path you have chosen, let faith be your strength!" Inside, he smirked; he was very charismatic, and excellent at boosting morale. "I, Seymour Guado, maester of Yevon, will bear witness to your deeds today."

The Crusaders saluted again. "Sir!" they chorused enthusiastically. Satisfied, Seymour spun round and smiled as he saw Yuna and her guardians standing a little way up the path. He walked up to them, first meeting Yuna's shy yet inquisitive gaze, and then looking to see Auron, standing tall beside her.

"Ah, Sir Auron. It is an honour." Seymour nodded politely to the guardian. The man was legend incarnated. He was the very fabric that myth was made from. "I would be most interested in hearing what you've been doing these past ten years."

"I've got nothing to say about it." Auron said roughly, before walking away.

Slightly bemused, Seymour watched him disappear out the corner of his eye. "I… see." Dismissing Auron's cold response, he turned to Yuna. "Sir Auron must be a great asset as a guardian."

"Your Grace!" Yuna exclaimed, blushing slightly. It made her look positively radiant, Seymour thought.

"Please, there's no need for formalities." He smiled, hoping to dispel some of the anxiety in the young summoner's eyes.

Suddenly, a man appeared beside him; he was presumably another of Yuna's guardians. Seymour looked at him, recognising him as Wakka, captain of the Besaid Aurochs. A small burst of pride lit up inside him as he remembered this, otherwise pointless, information. He generally tended to forget things like that in an instant.

"Excuse me…" the man began. "Maester Seymour?" Seeing that he had Seymour's attention, he continued. "Why is your Lordship… presently… present here… sir?" He scratched the nape of his neck, as he fought to find the right words. Seeing his struggle, Seymour sighed quietly.

"Please, speak as you normally would."

Relieved, Wakka swallowed and rephrased his question, albeit somewhat nervously. "Isn't this operation against the teachings of Yevon? Aren't you gonna stop them?"

Seymour pondered over this. Part of him wanted to laugh at the blind ignorance of the guardian. "It's true…" he said carefully, thinking hard on what to say. "I should. However… Both the Crusaders and the Al Bhed truly wish peace for Spira." He paused again, allowing this to sink in. "This Operation Mi'ihen was born from that wish they share. Although it may be sacrilege to Yevon, their intentions are pure. And I, Seymour Guado – the person, not the maester of Yevon… As a denizen of Spira, I wish them well in their endeavour." He watched as Yuna's eyes lit up with inspiration. She was touched. Wakka, however, still wasn't entirely convinced.

"But, using machina… That's bad, isn't it?"

Smirking, Seymour gave a short, soft chuckle. "Pretend you didn't see them." He suggested, listening in beguilement to the shocked chorus of gasps.

"Beg your pardon, but that's not something a maester should say!" Wakka protested in horror.

The response was almost inevitable.

"Then pretend I didn't say it." Seymour said wearily.

"You're kidding!" An undertone of pleading haunted Wakka's exclamation.

He was met with a barrier of silence; Seymour strolled away, towards the command centre. Yuna watched him go, mulling over what he'd just told them. She could see the sense in what he was doing, and to a certain extent, she agreed with what he was doing. Everyone wanted peace after all, so teaming up and working together could only be a good thing, right?

Slowly, they followed on after him, carefully trying to avoid the numerous fiends that prowled the road. Yuna couldn't see Seymour having any problems with them; his aeon had been so powerful…

"Ah, Seymour… You've arrived at last." Wen Kinoc greeted him from his seat by the fire. "How was the journey?"

"I allowed Lady Yuna and her guardians to pass through. Which reminds me…" Seymour beckoned to a nearby soldier. "Find Lady Yuna and tell her that I request her presence here." The soldier saluted stiffly, before dashing off to relay the message.

Calmly, Seymour turned back to Kinoc. "Sir Auron is with her." He smirked with satisfaction on seeing Kinoc's surprised look.

"Are you serious?"

"I am." Seymour strolled closer to the fire, nodding to his assistants who bowed and dismissed themselves. "As you will see soon enough."

Lapsing into silence, Seymour settled himself by the fire. Kinoc didn't trust him, it seemed, and this amused him. Patiently, he awaited Yuna's arrival. Finally, the guard came rushing back in, panting hard as though he'd run all the way.

"Their just… coming… up the lift… now…" he said, bent double.

Sure enough, the lift clanked to a halt and the muffled sound of footsteps could be heard clearly. Almost immediately, Seymour got to his feet, smoothing his robes down and flipping his forelock out of his face. Kinoc laughed and approached Auron, hugging the guardian briefly in greeting.

"I'd heard from Seymour, but I didn't know if we'd actually meet." He released the guardian. "Good to see you, Auron! Ten years, is it?" Kinoc laughed gently.

Suddenly, a young soldier sped in urgently, saluting to Maester Kinoc. "All troops ready to move at your command, sir!" he announced importantly.

"Good." Kinoc nodded. "Dismissed."

"Sir!" With a final salute, the soldier left.

Wakka and Yuna followed on after him, and Seymour gave half a thought to following after them and trying to smooth everything out over between them.

"Tell me, Auron." Kinoc boomed. "Where have you been the last ten years?"

"We don't have time for this now, do we?" Auron replied simply, avoiding his question.

Kinoc smirked. "This plan won't work, you know that." He lowered his voice slightly with an air of conspiracy. "We'll just let them dream a little longer."

"What?" The boy exclaimed, stepping forwards in shock.

Seymour sensed that Kinoc, being the idiot he was, was letting too much slip. "Lord Kinoc…" he said, in way of a distraction.

It worked. Kinoc sighed slightly, before looking to one of the more senior guards. "Oh, yes. Proceed." He nodded.

"That Kinoc, a maester?" he heard Auron ask in amazement. Fighting to hide his smirk, Seymour couldn't help but share his astonishment. Kinoc was a weak fool who tried to distract people with simple illusions that deluded only himself.

"I heard that, Auron." Kinoc grumbled resentfully. "A lot has happened these last ten years. What were you doing, and where?"

"Fulfilling a promise I made to a friend. I still am." Auron replied lithely.

"Just tell me one thing." Kinoc sighed. "Have you seen Zanarkand?"

"Hmph." Auron ignored his question and strode away.

By now, Yuna had returned and she and the non-Al Bhed boy stood near Seymour, whispering to each other nervously.

"I kinda… think we don't belong here." She chewed her bottom lip.

An important-looking Crusader stepped forwards suddenly, clearing his throat. "It is time at last. We must tell the Al Bhed waiting outside to begin the operation at once. The fiends may break through. This place is not safe. Make sure you're prepared to defend yourselves."

Immediately, everyone began to check their equipment, switching various weapons and clipping on bangles and extra bits of armour. Seymour had no need to check; he'd used the same staff all his life, and the thick material of his robes provided more than enough protection from the elements. As he left the command centre, he felt Yuna's eyes on him, and quickly turned to catch her gaze. Blushing when she realised he'd caught her out, she gave him a small smile before averting her gaze to the ring she held in her hand.

There was only one type of ring that would ever look perfect on her slender hand; Seymour hoped he'd be the man to give it to her. A small flicker of hope quivered inside him. Those looks she gave him – there was more than just admiration and awe in her eyes when she gazed at him. His heart leapt at the thought that maybe she felt for him, as he felt for her. From that moment on, he vowed to nurture those feelings, with a view to having them bloom into something wonderful.

"Maester Kinoc. Please." It was the guard.

Yuna and her guardians filed past him, gathering at the cliff's edge and peering down at the preparations that were taking place on the beach below. Maester Kinoc walked forward, onto a platform set up on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the massing ranks of Crusaders on the beach. Scores of chocobos squeaked and chirruped on the shore, with Crusaders making the last adjustments to their armour and weaponry, before mounting them.

"Will Sin come?" Yuna asked anxiously, clasping her hands together.

"Sin always returns for its spawn." The guard told her. "To make sure, we're going to encourage them to call out to it."

"You won't have to. It'll come." Auron told him, his eyes never leaving the long stretch of blue horizon.

Suddenly, the ground shook. A cage was hoisted up the side of the neighbouring cliff, holding a large, vicious sinspawn inside. On the beach, another cage was electrified, and everyone watched on in horror as the ground quaked again, and the fiends escaped from their prisons, roaming out into the open.

A horrendous, serpentine beast dropped down from the cage suspended over the cliff beside them, and horror turned to panic. Yuna, Auron and Wakka stood facing it, drawing their weapons and preparing to do battle. Seymour wished there was some way he could help out, but a small string of guards had blocked him and Maester Kinoc inside the command centre. In annoyance, he could only watch as Yuna and her guardians valiantly battled the fiend. After what seemed like an eternity, the beast eventually gave way, flailing and thrashing around on the ground. Exhausted, the fighters turned their attention back to the forces on the beach.

Out in the bay, long fingers of black shadow were crawling across the ocean towards the shore. It rose suddenly, revealing itself as Sin. The masses of chocobo riders steadied themselves, waiting for the cue to charge.

"Let's go!" yelled the female leader, Lucil, urging her steed on.

Sin drew to a halt, still partly submerged in the water, lying in wait. Suddenly, the powered-up Al Bhed cannons were fired, striking Sin. Each hit caused great hunks of its outer skin to tumble into the water below, where they morphed into fiends and swam for the beach. Lucil led the charge forward, storming the small band where sea met sand.

"Look out!" Auron shouted suddenly, eyes widening in shock.

Tides cascading in waterfalls down its mountainous body, Sin drew itself up to its full height, dropping the outer barrier of skin, which crashed into the water and transformed into a myriad of fiends. A large force field appeared around it, before extending outwards. Massed on the beach, the Crusaders fought off the sinspawn unaware of their impending doom. The energy barrier reached them, instantly wiping them from existence.

Slowly, Yuna opened her eyes, blinking away the white fog that she saw. A dull pain registered with her, and she rubbed her head carefully, before sitting up and looking around her. She instantly quailed, seeing the snake-like fiend alive again. Seymour appeared to be holding it off alone, his arms pressed against its tough, leathery claws. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yuna was awake. Spurred on by her consciousness, he summoned all his strength and pushed the monster hard, causing it to slide back a few metres. Yuna was standing now, and Auron was walking towards them, sword unsheathed.

"Stand back, Lady Yuna." Seymour warned her, getting ready to attack. If anything were to happen to her…

"Y-Yes." She nodded, standing a little way from him.

The fiend charged at them, snapping Auron in its claws. He grunted, sagging to his knees momentarily, before pulling himself upright and unleashing a volley of blows upon its tough hide. Unaffected, it slammed back into him, causing him to slump unconscious on the floor. It then turned its attack on Yuna, only to find Seymour in its way. Quickly, he cast Fira, blasting one of its claws off. It shrilled, recoiling in pain. Yuna barely had time to give her thanks, before it thrust its remaining claw at her, smacking her to the floor.

Hot pain coursed through her body, as she fought to breathe, a red mist obscuring her view. Something was squeezing the life out of her, crushing her ribs and forcing the air from her lungs. Blood bubbled up her throat and she choked on its acrid taste, as it filled her mouth.

Distraught, Seymour launched into his overdrive, slaying the beast in one go. Yuna dropped from its constricting clutches, and Seymour dived for her, quickly pulling her out from beneath the dying fiend as it fell to the ground.

"Lady Yuna?" he asked her anxiously, kneeling down and cradling her head in his lap. "Can you hear me?" Tenderly, he brushed a strand of pale hair from her face, stroking her cheek.

Laying her down delicately, he got to his feet and cast a couple of Cura spells on her, praying with all his soul that she would open her beautiful, bright eyes. After the fourth spell, he grew desperate.

"Yuna, please…" he murmured pleadingly, mainly to himself, as he rifled around for a Phoenix Down.

Eventually, and to his great relief, he found one and used it on her lifeless body. At once, it breathed life into her and she began coughing, a small trickle of blood dripping from her mouth. Groggily, she sat up and blinked a couple of times, before looking up at Seymour. As she opened her mouth to thank him, he smiled and held out his hands, helping her to her feet. She marvelled at his calm composure, gratefully accepting a small handkerchief to wipe the spurt of blood from her chin.

Inside, Seymour was a nervous wreck. The thought of having nearly lost Yuna made him want to wrap his arms tightly round her and never let her go. Those precious few minutes when she'd been dead to the world had been among the worst in his life.

She stood in front of him, performing the prayer as an intricate gesture. "Thank you, Maester Seymour… You saved my life." She told him earnestly, holding his gaze a second longer before dashing to the side of a dazed Sir Auron.

--

A/N: Har har, Seymour in angst! Awesomeness! I know it was kinda cliché and a little non-script, but I wanted to give the guys some 'quality time' together. And hey, this is a love story after all. R&R please, 'cos reviews account for around 99 of my life.


	3. Silent Comfort

Disclaimer: All characters are property of Squaresoft.

--

Silent Comfort

The beach was a site of carnage. Corpses were strewn everywhere, half-buried in the sand or trapped under debris and bits of rubble. Smoking craters marked the places where the Al Bhed cannons had once been. All of it sickened Yuna, who was looking down on the chaos.

"The others?" she asked suddenly, fearing for her friends' lives.

There was a sudden whirring noise as the Al Bhed weapon began to power up. It moved slowly, aiming directly at Sin, and a cloud of energy built up, before being released as a powerful bolt. Yuna prayed hard, watching as the bolt struck Sin's barrier. The barrier remained, beginning to extend as the weapon was powered up again. Just before it released yet another bolt, Sin's barrier struck out and smashed the weapon tower, causing the entire structure to explode.

Suddenly, the barrier was let down and Sin submerged itself once more in the ocean, before turning and swimming out the bay.

Horrified, Yuna thought fast, trying to keep herself from crying. "Everyone, stand back! I'll summon!"

"You won't hurt it." Seymour called to her. "Your powers are still… too weak."

"But I must do something!" she insisted, almost pleading with him.

He merely shook his head. Summoning was futile, and she would only wear herself out. Heaving a short sigh of determination, Yuna began summoning.

"You can't!" Seymour called to her again, and finally she relented.

They regrouped again on the beach, relieved to see that none of them were seriously hurt. Yuna walked off and began sending the fallen soldiers and aiding the weak, while Lulu and Tidus watched on in silence. Eventually, she finished her dance and slowly made her way back over to them. It had been worse than Kilika; it had been a massacre.

Shivering slightly, Yuna stood and tried to regain some of her composure. She politely made the prayer gesture at Maester Kinoc's retreating back, as he waddled off the beach. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before opening them again to find Seymour walking towards her.

"You do not look so well." He told her gently, gazing at her. "But now more than ever, you must be the people's strength, their confidence."

She made a soft sound, as though she was about to cry, and he gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Anyone else would be expected to show their sorrow." He continued slowly, walking a little way from her, towards the sea. "But you… are a summoner. You are Spira's hope." He turned and walked back to her calmly. "Until Sin is defeated, you must not relent. Do you understand?" he stood close to her, watching her tenderly.

"Yes. I understand." She assured him.

"Are you afraid?" he asked her, wondering. She smiled at him, and he decided to risk it. "Yuna, take me as your pillar of strength. As Yunalesca had her lord Zaon." He allowed his words to sink in, watching the effect they had. She gazed up at him, and he could see the love-light in her eyes, burning brightly. "Lady Yuna. Until next we meet, farewell."

He brushed past her and walked up the path to the road. His heart soared in his chest; Lady Yuna had gazed at him in adoration! Perhaps there was more of a chance for them than he'd first thought?

Back on the beach, Yuna clutched her hands to her heart, trying to still its rapid beating. She'd been sure he could hear it, thumping like a drum. There had been something in his voice that made her feel weak and breathless, and the way he'd smiled… Giggling quietly, she felt herself blush a little. He was a maester of Yevon though, and she was merely a young summoner. What could he ever see in her? She sighed at this thought, a small pang of disappointment running through her. Still, there were always her dreams…

--

A/N: Yay! Short chappie! Not really much I could add to this anyway, though I did try but it just didn't seem to fit. I'm sorry if this one seemed a bit too short, but I'll try and make up for it next update, promise.


	4. Wishful Thinking

Disclaimer: All characters are property of Squaresoft. -- Wishful Thinking 

She'd been sending the fallen till dawn, dancing endlessly for the sake of their souls. Exhausted, she half-collapsed on the small bed, forcing all thoughts of pyreflies and blood from her mind. As she curled up on the mattress, her mind roamed to Seymour, and what he'd said to her, only hours ago.

Take me as your pillar of strength… 

It was funny how those seven little words could make her insides tingle; the familiar butterfly sensation arose again, sending small shivers down her spine. Closing her eyes, she pictured Seymour, dignified and noble even when he was standing his ground, holding off the fiend that had almost killed her. He'd been so strong… Almost unnaturally so. Then again, she'd heard rumours concerning his birth; he was half-human, someone had said.

"Like me." Yuna sighed aloud, a small smile of glee warming to her features. His parentage only made him more endearing… And more desirable.

She wondered what it would be like to be held in his embrace, her cheek resting against the warm skin of his chest, while his arms shielded her from the horror and tragedy of the outside world. He'd cradle her and smile down at her, his eyes shining like two divine suns, before telling her that he loved her. Then they'd kiss, and their worlds would meld into one, joining them for eternity.

Lapsing into sleep, her fabrications took on a more solid form as her dream began to unfold.

It was a beautiful night. A thin blanket of clouds drifted across the wide moon, casting shadows on the darkened fields below. From the hill, Yuna lay and watched in wonder, taking in the beauty of it all. Above her, a canopy of stars twinkled and she tried to pick out the brightest one. Suddenly, a tall figure loomed over her, smiling benignly.

"Seymour?" she sat up in slight disbelief. She'd thought she was on her own.

Silently, he sat down beside her and gazed out across the rolling expanses of night-stained countryside. She relaxed, closing her eyes and bathing in the moonlight for a moment, before opening them again and turning to the maester.

"Where is the brightest star?" she asked him interestedly.

He glanced up, scanning the sky quickly, before raising an arm and pointing to it. "There. The Northern Star."

"Is there a Southern Star to match?" she pouted slightly as he chuckled softly at her question.

"Look. There's Orion." Seymour traced out the constellation with his fingers.

"Who's he?" Yuna wondered.

"In myth, Orion was a hunter. When he died, his body was placed in the sky as the stars you see before you." he traced them out again.

Squinting, she followed his hand movements, but could only vaguely make out the outline of the warrior. Sighing, she gave up.

"Are there any others?" she asked hopefully, glancing up.

"There's the Plough. That's just above us." He indicated to the long string of stars visible above them.

Yuna smiled. Even she could make out that particular constellation. Cocking her head to one side, she turned back to him.

"What's the story behind that one?"

"I am not sure." He admitted, casually swatting away his forelock.

"Maybe Orion needed it to plough his fields?" Yuna suggested thoughtfully.

"Perhaps." Seymour mused. He didn't have the heart to remind her that Orion was a hunter, not a farmer.

Hugging herself, Yuna shivered in the light breeze, wishing that she'd thought to bring a jacket.

"Are you cold?" he asked her gently, placing a hand on hers.

She looked up at him, hardly daring to breath. Slowly, she nodded, flushing with happiness when he placed an arm around her and drew her close against him. She could hear his heart beating a rapid tempo, and she wondered if it was beating quicker than hers.

He gave her a gentle squeeze, as though assuring himself that she was real, breathing in her wonderful, warm scent. She nuzzled further into his embrace, and he traced the outline of her face purposefully with his long, slender fingers, before tilting her chin up to look at him. They gazed at one another for a long time, taking each other in, before Seymour blinked slowly and grazed her lips with his thumb.

"I love you, Lady Yuna."

Those were the words she'd been dying to hear, and her heart nearly burst with joy when he finally said them. Their mouths met in a sweet, tender kiss and Yuna felt herself blushing slightly at her inexperience. Her first real kiss.

The sound of distant talking made her pull away, and suddenly a bright light invaded her eyes. Night turned to day, and gone was Seymour, replaced instead by Tidus. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and tried hard not sulk as the dream began to ebb away into the past. Her lips were tingling a little, and she subconsciously ran a finger over them, wondering if the dream would ever become reality.

--

A/N: -Groans- Yay! W00t! Finally the dream sequence is over! Yes, the characters were terribly OoC, but it's a dream, and virtually anything can happen in dreams, including cotton candy fluff between Seymour and Yuna. Especially since it's _Yuna's_ dream and she's madly in love with him. Besides, she strikes me as being the hopelessly romantic type… Anyhow, I promise there will be no more whacked-out dreams (Well, not in the near future at least) so you can sleep easy for a while.

Keep on R&R-ing, 'cos you're doing a wonderful job of keeping me focused.


	5. An Interesting Proposal

Disclaimer: All characters are property of Squaresoft.

--

An Interesting Proposal

Guadosalam was a strange, yet quaint city, buried deep underground in the forest near the Moonflow. Yuna had always wanted to go there, ever since she was a little child; there was no other city in Spira like it.

As they walked down the ramp that led them into the city, an elderly-looking Guado appeared, bowing deeply as he reached them.

"We have been expecting you, Lady Yuna. Welcome to Guadosalam."

"Me?" Yuna asked in surprise. She hadn't been expecting an escort.

The Guado-man reached out to take her hand, but Wakka stepped forward and blocked the way with his arm. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

"Oh, I beg your pardon." The Guado-man bowed deeply. "I am called Tromell Guado." He straightened up. I am in the direct service of our leader, the great Seymour Guado. Lord Seymour has very important business with Lady Yuna."

"Business with me? Whatever could it be, I wonder?" Although her voice was light, inside she was a nervous wreck, her heart beating rapidly in fright. Why did he want to see her? Had she done something wrong?

"Please come inside the manor. All will be explained." He assured her, indicating to the vivid red doors of a large vine-covered structure. "Of course, your friends are also welcome." Seymour had been quite firm that her guardians were referred to as her 'friends'.

He walked away, and Yuna followed on after him. Upon entering the manor, they stepped into a large, circular room with two staircases at either side, meeting in the middle. As soon as Tromell disappeared to announce their arrival, Tidus ran up the stairs and attempted to duck past the Guado who was guarding the entrance to Seymour's private chambers.

"You are not permitted to enter here, sir." The Guado said, in a firm but polite manner.

Biting her lips together to prevent herself from laughing aloud, Yuna watched as a somewhat dejected Tidus slunk back down the stairs and came over.

"Geez, that guy's touchy… Must mean he has a lot of incriminating stuff." Tidus muttered darkly.

"Or maybe he just likes his privacy." Lulu pointed out calmly. "I'm sure you wouldn't like people rummaging around in your bedroom."

"Depends who." Tidus snapped back, but under his breath. Lulu had been on edge since the mishap on the Shoopuf, and he didn't want to annoy her. Her anger could even strike the fear of God into Sin itself.

"Kimahri not like Maester Seymour." Kimahri growled, his fur bristling.

Shocked by his sudden outburst, Yuna looked up in fright. "Aa! Shhhh." She hushed him gently, praying that no one had heard.

Kimahri looked at her, and nodded. "Kimahri speak no more." He promised, his tail swishing slightly.

The door beside Yuna opened suddenly, and she looked up to see Tromell holding it open. "This way, please." He ushered them through.

The next room was a rather lavish dining hall, complete with a table piled high with fruit. The Guado were a race of strict vegetarians; their metabolisms couldn't process rich foods, such as dairy produce and meat. Yuna suddenly wondered if this affected Seymour too, considering he was half-human. She made a mental note to find out, if ever the opportunity arose.

Rikku perked up immediately at the sight of food, before dashing forwards and proceeding to stuff her face. Yuna walked over to a table by the wall, her stomach turning cartwheels. Each passing second made her grow increasingly nervous. She couldn't think of anything that she'd done wrong… so, why then, did he want to speak with her?

She glanced up and her gaze was caught by three interesting glowing orbs suspended above them. Inside each, a smaller orb of bright energy pulsated, and she wondered what they were. A long, thin cord oscillated in a wide arc, much like that of a clock's pendulum. Just then, the door opened, causing Yuna to jump slightly in alarm; it was only Tromell, however.

In his study, Seymour removed a small box from one of his desk's many, voluminous drawers and carefully placed it up his sleeve. From his seat, he could hear Tromell extolling his master's many virtues, and with a satisfied, and rather smug, smile he got to his feet and made for the door.

"Lord Seymour… He will surely become the shining star that lights the way for all the peoples of Spira." Tromell announced grandly.

"That is enough, Tromell." Seymour said calmly, as he entered the dining room. "Must I always endure such praise?" As he made the prayer gesture, he cast a quick glance at Yuna and was pleased to see her eyes glazed over with admiration. She had obviously taken what Tromell had said to heart. "Welcome!"

Shaken from her infatuated daze, Yuna blinked and stepped forward. "You… wanted to see me?"

He hadn't sounded angry, but then again, maybe he was hiding it. She supposed he was very good at disguising his true feelings; he'd probably had a lot of practice. Then again, so had she.

"Please, make yourselves at home. There's no rush." He smiled warmly and indicated to the food.

Before Yuna could thank him for his hospitality, Auron spoke up. "Please keep this short. Yuna must rush."

A twinge of annoyance shot through her on hearing this. Surely they could spare just an hour or so? Seymour was a lot busier than she was, and he'd gone to the trouble of preparing them a feast. The least they could all do was stay a while and appreciate his kindness.

"Pardon me." Seymour apologised. "It has been a long time since I had guests." For a brief moment, Yuna thought she could detect a trace of melancholy in his voice, loneliness even. "Lady Yuna, this way."

She followed him into the centre of the room, watching as he reached up and grasped hold of the swinging chord, before giving it a swift tug. Almost at once, the orbs glowed brighter, before fading out altogether, leaving the room enshrouded in darkness. Beneath them, the floor lit up suddenly, while above them the ceiling turned into space. They were in a hologram of the galaxy.

Yuna and her guardians gasped in awe at the stunning detail of the whole projection, especially when a stream of pyreflies blazed past them, acting as meteorites. Seymour folded his arms neatly behind his back and walked over to Yuna; he would have preferred to show her this alone, but he knew she would never have accepted unless her guardians had been allowed in as well.

"This sphere is a reconstruction created from the thoughts of the dead that wander the Farplane." He told them all, gazing round as the scene changed from the galaxy, to one of a bustling city, full of people talking and laughing. His eyes then fell to Yuna, who was gazing awe-struck at the tall, brightly lit buildings surrounding them.

"Zanarkand!?" Tidus blurted out in shock suddenly.

"Correct. Zanarkand… as it looked one thousand years ago. The great and wondrous machina city, Zanarkand." He paused briefly, allowing Yuna to commit the ghost of Zanarkand to memory. "She once lived in this metropolis."

Intrigued by the vagueness of his statement, Yuna turned to look up at him. "She, who?"

He remained silent though, and swiftly the illuminations faded away, changing to a rather big, lavishly furnished room. A woman with long, flowing white hair was sat on the large bed that filled the centre of the room.

"Lady Yunalesca!" Yuna instantly recognised her namesake.

"She was the first person to defeat Sin and save the world from its ravages." Seymour confirmed, turning to smile slightly at her. "And you have inherited her name."

"It was my father who named me." She told him, a hint of pride in her voice.

"Lord Braska was entrusting you with a great task… He wanted you to face Sin, as Lady Yunalesca did."

She continued to gaze at the hologram of Lady Yunalesca, swallowing as she felt a small, awkward knot tie in her stomach. Her father had brought about the last Calm, thus tying her to her destiny.

"However, Lady Yunalesca did not save the world alone." Seymour continued. "To defeat the undefeatable Sin…" He slowly made the prayer gesture. "It took an unbreakable bond of love, of the kind that binds two hearts for eternity."

Out of the corner of her eye, Yuna saw a tall, powerfully-built man approaching, dressed lavishly. He walked straight through her, and she recoiled on instinct, even though there was nothing for her to feel.

_Lord Zaon…_

He approached Yunalesca, who stood up to greet him warmly, arms outstretched. As the two ghosts embraced passionately, Yuna risked a sideways glance at Seymour, only to find him gazing curiously at her. Embarrassed, she snapped her eyes back to the hologram, only to feel a relentless prickling at the nape of her neck. Nibbling her lower lip, she slowly looked up to meet Seymour's eyes. He cocked his head briefly, as though contemplating something, before leaning down and whispering in her ear.

"Lady Yuna… Please allow me to alleviate the weight that you bear on your shoulders. Allow me to aid your battle against Sin. Marry me, Lady Yuna, and together we shall welcome in the Calm." He told her silkily, his hot breath caressing her ear.

Almost at once, Yuna gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth. He'd just proposed! But, why? Did he love her? A thousand questions raced through her mind, and Seymour bowed his head politely and backed away a couple of steps.

Rooted to the spot, Yuna stood for a minute longer, turning his words over and over in her mind, trying to unravel them. Her mouth ran dry, and she briskly paced over to a nearby table and poured herself some water, before gulping it down. Sighing a breath of relief, she closed her eyes and turned to face her friends.

Rikku and Tidus approached her in concern, frowning softly.

"Wow! Your face is beet red!" Rikku exclaimed in surprise.

"You okay?" Tidus asked softly, wondering what Seymour had said.

Yuna tried to explain, but the words she needed twisted and coiled away from her tongue, refusing to let her speak. Finally, she managed to choke it out.

"He… he asked me to marry him!"

"You serious?" Tidus replied in shock, as a sudden surge of animosity towards Seymour reared its ugly head.

"You know what Yuna must do." Auron spoke out in sombre tones, glaring straight at Seymour.

"Of course." He replied calmly. "Lady Yuna – no, all summoners are charged with bringing peace to Spira. But this means more than just defeating Sin. She must ease the suffering of Spira. She must be a leader to the people." he paused, seeming to consider Yuna briefly. "I proposed to Lady Yuna as a maester of Yevon."

"Spira is no playhouse." Auron challenged him. "A moment's diversion may amuse the audience, but it changes nothing."

"Even so, the actors must play their parts." Seymour replied, glossing over Auron's comment.

He turned to Yuna and spoke softly to her. "There's no need to reply straight away. Please, think it over."

Yuna blinked slowly, before nodding. "I will." As she spoke, she looked up and met his gaze.

He gave a small smile in reply, before slowly holding out his hands. A small, navy box was settled in his palms, and she gave a little start at what it might contain. Whatever it was, she was sure it was expensive. Lord Seymour was a man of riches, with a taste for quality, luxury and expense.

"Please, do not look so alarmed. It is merely a small gift to you, as a token of my affection." He opened the box, revealing a ring of bright, glistening silver, with a glittering ruby-centred pendant. It was exquisite.

"I, I can't accept this, your Grace." She shook her head violently, backing away from him.

Her eyes were wide open with fear, although she had nothing to be afraid of. Seymour found himself fawning on her, his movements towards her slight and non-threatening, as though he was trying to approach a wild chocobo chick.

"Please, take it." He held it out to her. "I have no use for it, and it would calm me immensely to know that you were protected by this ring's ancient charms."

Cautiously, Yuna extended her arm towards the little box, her hand wavering over it as though it would attack. Before she could change her mind and retreat again, Seymour pressed the container into her hand and swiftly stepped back into the prayer gesture.

A little taken aback, Yuna firmly clutched her gift, before returning the prayer gesture. Somewhere behind her, Auron cleared his throat, and without another word, Yuna bolted from the room, her cheeks blazing.

--

A/N: First of all, MAJOR APOLOGIES!! I know you're all going "OMG WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG, YOU LAZY BUM!?" and I'm really, really sorry for it. Writer's block + clinical depression + full-time education One busy schedule.

R&Rness plzkthnxbai.


	6. Taken By Moonlight

Disclaimer: All characters are property of Squaresoft.

--

Taken By Moonlight

Yuna opened her eyes as she heard Lulu and Rikku coming to bed, listening as they chatted softly and began to undress. There was the familiar tinkle of belts, and she knew Lulu was doing her one-belt-undoes-all trick. It had always fascinated her, how Lulu knew the exact belt to undo, and how she always fixed it in the morning so that she had to undo a different belt the next time; Lulu was ingenious that way.

Finally, Rikku chirped her goodnights before nestling down under the thin duvet; Guadosalam was unbelievably warm at night. Yuna lay still for a while more, before slipping from her bed and dressing herself. Seymour's marriage proposal was still fresh in mind, but she was yet to make up her mind. She loved him, but she didn't feel brave enough to say it to him yet. Someone had once told her that if you weren't ready to tell someone how you felt, you weren't ready to show it either. Of course, it referred to more than just marriage, but for the past few hours, it had been Yuna's personal mantra. Of course, regardless of whether she married him or not, she would continue with her pilgrimage.

Neither guardian stirred as she crept past, staff in hand. Rikku had left her bedside light on, and it granted a dim illumination of the room. At the door, she glanced back and a soft smile formed on her lips as she watched her friends sleep on. Rikku was curled up like a cat, one hand cushioning her head on the pillow, while the other was draped across her stomach. Lulu, on the other hand, was lying on her back, her arm thrown over her face so that the crook covered her eyes. She'd let her hair down as well, and dark, wavy tumbles of raven spilled across the pillow and bed sheets.

She opened the door only as much as she needed to, before squeezing through the gap and shutting it quietly behind her. Out in the narrow corridor, the change in light intensity blinded her, and she stood for a moment, blinking rapidly. Eventually, her eyes adjusted and she listened to the sound of her male guardians snoring from their room. Once or twice, a moan of complaint was heard, as one of them snored too loud and woke the others up. Laughing quietly to herself, she walked down the stairs and nodded to the innkeeper, before leaving.

Once outside, she took a deep breath and made for the path that led up to the over-world. She needed space to think seriously about Seymour's proposal, and the forests around Guadosalam were calm and lush, with a comforting, warm wind that kept the chilled air at bay.

As she broke out into the open, she gasped in amazement at the beauty of serenity. Far above, night had blanketed the sky with darkness, an awning of stars scattered across her. Beams of soft moonlight filtered down through the swaying leaves, creating a dancing, dappled effect on the ground.

Walking on, Yuna listened to the sharp yips of coyote-fiends deep in the forests. Drawing a deep, determined breath, she gripped her staff tightly in her hand; she was prepared for any fiends that came her way. Lulu had taught her some black magic, and she'd become quite adept at drawing the elements up through her body and loosing them forth upon her foe. It was rather like summoning, she'd mused, except less strenuous and each element felt different.

Thunder was a quick jolt of energy that surged through her, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Water flowed like the blood in her veins, rising like a swelling tide inside her before dissipating. Fire swirled up, warming her skin with the invisible heat that she felt both inside and out. Ice however, chilled her and made her skin tingle as it spread within her.

She'd had fun, calling upon the elements and switching between freezing, zapping, burning and dousing almost anything she could get her hands on. Tidus had even given her a power sphere to try and burn, but it had just grown immensely hot; after Rikku had scalded herself on it, Auron had kicked it into the Moonflow, and they'd all watched it hiss and churn up the water as it sank. After that, Yuna had decided to save her newly acquired black mage skills for battle.

A fiend pounced on her now, and she narrowly evaded its sharp teeth. Snarling, it sprang round to attack her again, but she met it with a swift blow in between its eyes with her staff, and it yelped in pain. Before it could recover, she drew up a lightning bolt and struck it, killing it in one blow. Thunder was her favourite element; it was like her own personal, miniature storm that she alone could control.

Lulu preferred Water, saying she liked how she could control its form, manipulating it to her will. She could even make shapes with it, and had once made a statue of Yuna for the young apprentice summoner's enjoyment. It hadn't lasted long, but Yuna had marvelled at how lifelike it was, begging Lulu to make a statue of herself, Wakka and Kimahri as well.

Smiling at the memory, Yuna gathered the spoils and continued on her way until she came to the bank where they had found Rikku earlier that day. Sitting down on a nearby stump, Yuna placed her staff down and gazed into the Moonflow, amazed by its spectacular beauty. Its pearly depths glowed in the pale rays of the moon, and every so often, a cluster of pyreflies would settle on a moonlily. It was exactly as Lulu had described it; a sea of stars.

The long grass around her rippled constantly in the gentle breeze, dancing to its own beat. The fragrant aroma of spice and flowers filled the air, and she began to take off her boots, gazing at the shimmering surface of the river intently. It looked so cool and inviting, and her feet were sore from all the walking they'd done over the days. Closing her eyes, she lowered her feet into the water and sighed in exaltation. It was pure bliss. The water was pleasantly cool, and she lazily trawled her feet through it. Lifting her feet out slightly, she allowed her toes to skim the surface delicately, beads of glistening water running down her ankle and dripping back into the river.

The water broke and curved back on itself in her toes' wakes, creating tiny spirals. She paused and watched, fascinated at how the water seemed to cleave in two, before swirling back in on itself and twisting off in miniscule eddies. She wished she had someone else to share the beauty with, and laughed softly to herself as she imagined how her friends would act.

Rikku and Tidus would probably dance about, knee-deep, spraying each other and everyone else with water and laughing for all to hear. Wakka would jokingly complain about getting wet before joining in himself, while Lulu laughed quietly and watched on, staying out of range. Auron and Kimahri would watch in a contemplative silence, ever alert for the presence of danger. Sighing wistfully, she kicked up a little plume of water and watched the glittering quicksilver fall back, splashing in soft chords. It was almost like music.

Drifting from her trance, her thoughts lapsed back to Maester Seymour. The proposal… She couldn't help but be disappointed that he had only proposed to her as a maester of Yevon; he felt no real emotion for her, proposing only because it would bring happiness to Spira… Still, if she accepted, Spira would rejoice and everyone would have something cheerful to talk about. If she declined, her pilgrimage would go on as before, but Spira would be forced to suffer that little while extra, with only the Calm to look forward to.

_Will he ask me to give up my pilgrimage if I marry him?_ Yuna pondered over this for a while, a small, tight knot of fear rising in her throat. _But considering that he too, is a summoner, surely he'd appreciate how much the pilgrimage means to me? Yes, of course he'll understand… He's a Maester… And if he doesn't, well then, I suppose… I won't marry him._ It wasn't the greatest solution to the problem, but it had bought her peace of mind, something she could seldom afford these days.

Strained relief swept through her as she came to this conclusion, and she lifted her feet from the water, preparing to head back to Guadosalam. Droplets of water rolled off her toes, and the warm breeze caressed her skin, drying her feet in no time. As she slipped on her boots and stood to leave, her breath caught in her throat, frozen by the shock of seeing Maester Seymour strolling leisurely towards her. Moments later, he caught her gaze and he too froze in apparent disbelief.

"Lady Yuna?" he closed the distance between them, his expression a mixture of pleasance and concern. "I thought you were staying at the inn?"

"I am…" she found her voice and swallowed nervously. "I just felt… I, I needed some air."

He nodded and smiled in understanding. "I see." Had she been considering his proposal? "Guadosalam can be rather claustrophobic sometimes." He brushed past her gently and stood on the embankment, lost in thought as he looked out over the Moonflow.

"I have… never seen it like this before." She told him, folding her hands behind her back and gazing at the ground in embarrassment. "It's so beautiful."

"As are you." he spoke softly, turning to face her again.

His gaze held her transfixed, and she could feel a modest blush invade her face, as she made a small 'hmm' of disbelief. Her heart began to race, and she barely dared to believe her ears. Did he really think she was beautiful?

"Uh, th-thank you." she stammered, wondering what he meant. His words could simply be a ploy to convince her to marry him.

Suddenly he was at her side, smiling benevolently down at her. Her eyes were filled with wonder and hope, and he longed to lean down and kiss her, his lips tingling with the desire.

She truly was enchanting - the embodiment of perfection, no less. He had known that since he had first laid eyes on her only a few short days ago in Luca. Even so, he found himself breathless at her modest beauty; she almost shone, even against the bright moonlit backdrop of the forest. He gazed intently at her, his eyes drinking in her radiance.

He was drawn to her mouth, with its luscious, coral pink lips and full pout. He imagined them to be so divinely soft, and yearned to touch them, to run his tongue over them before delving into her mouth and exploring her taste, while lacing it with his own.

Her cheeks were pinked slightly, no doubt the effect of his compliment, and her skin looked smooth and fresh, free from imperfection. She was so beautiful; it hurt to look at her. His heart ached with a deep, paining desperation to be with her, and he knew she felt the same. It was written in her coy smile.

The same smile invited him closer and closer, until his lips were just skimming hers. And that's when she pounced.

The kiss instantly dispelled any doubting thoughts, and he found himself suddenly darting his tongue against hers and taking in her sweet, ardent tang. Of their own accord, his arms snaked themselves round her slender waist and back, suddenly pulling her closer to him, while his hands explored the small of her back and the exposed area of skin between her shoulders.

He could tell she was inexperienced, as she clumsily sought to copy him. Gently, he guided her mouth with his own, teasing her lips with his tongue and slowly deepening the kiss to his satisfaction.

Yuna, breathless with excitement and anticipation, clutched at Seymour's arm, as a desperate yearning awakened inside her. The warm, tingling feeling inside her spread to her stomach, and she felt alive as it engulfed her. It was the first time in her life she'd ever felt such an intense sensation of wanting, and she savoured every second of it.

Her hands swept up his chest, following the taut pattern of his muscular torso, as she traced the coiled, draconian designs that were tattooed on his skin. Her other hand crept over his shoulder, fluffing out his tussles of long, blue hair and running her fingers through the thick, silky strands. It flowed through her fingers, as soft and sleek as she had imagined.

As she ran her hands through the feathers of cerulean, he gave a small, pleased groan and she smiled against his mouth. Sharing one gaze, they engaged in another sweet, passionate kiss.

This time, Yuna teased his tongue with her own, nipping the tip of it gently with her teeth, and licking his lower lip, as he had done to her earlier. His forelock brushed against her cheek, creating a pleasant tickling sensation.

Eventually, they broke apart, basking in a state of peace. Yuna's heart was fluttering and her head whirled as she tried to come to terms with everything she had felt, her senses buzzing.

For Seymour, the sensation was a familiar one, although he was surprised at how intense the kiss had been, and the amount of electricity there was between them. None of his various other lovers had ever elicited such a heightened pleasure in him.

Quietly, Yuna pressed herself against his chest, breathing in his spicy musk and listening to his heartbeat. He stroked her hair lovingly, pressing a light kiss onto the top of her head.

Suddenly, Yuna felt the shadow of fatigue creeping up on her. Her eyes fluttered shut of their own accord, and a thick blanket of fuzziness swelled up, enveloping her. She only just registered the brief rush of air swirling around legs, as Seymour swept her up into his arms. To Yuna's sleep-ridden self, it felt like flying.

--

A/N: -Sighs- Ah, fluff, where would we be without it?

R&R you lovely, lovely people! Please?


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